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AFCA Forums > Antique Fan Collectors Association > Post-1950 (Vintage) > Chelsea Series 57W2 20" window fan

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Chelsea Series 57W2 20" window fan  Rate Topic 
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 Posted: Sun Aug 15th, 2021 03:16 am
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Rob Duffy
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 At least, I have finally acquired my holy grail. I just finished the restoration this evening and figured I would share the pictures.

I have a few more things to do but I am relieved that 90% of it is done.

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57w2.jpg
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 Posted: Sun Aug 15th, 2021 03:17 am
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Rob Duffy
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 Runs beautifully, as these usually do.

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57w21.jpg
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 Posted: Sun Aug 15th, 2021 03:17 am
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Rob Duffy
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 Restored switch decal.

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57w22.jpg
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 Posted: Sun Aug 15th, 2021 08:37 pm
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Steve Butler
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 I was glad  to see when you found it. You certainly didn’t waste any time restoring it.  Beautiful job and congrats.👍👍👍
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 Posted: Mon Aug 16th, 2021 12:33 pm
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Tom Zapf
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 I AM REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU ROB! 
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 12:29 am
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David Northam
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 I echo Tom......I'm really glad you found the fan you've been seeking for so many years. Sometimes the fans we so desperately seek may not have a lot of monetary value, but give us an infinite amount of joy through the memory of a time gone by.
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 03:26 am
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Rob Duffy
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 Here's some more better quality pictures of the final product. I just replaced all of the wiring excluding the original wall cord as that's still in excellent condition. The motor has new leads and is re-insulated for daily use. This fan sure brings back a lot of memories and with the restoration complete, it reminds me of the cream puffs my family once had.

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1.jpg
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 03:27 am
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Rob Duffy
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 The back side was once visible from the street of my former home on the garage side.

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3.jpg
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 03:29 am
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Rob Duffy
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 This was probably the most challenging part of the restoration. Reproducing the design for the decorative switch bezel. Took me almost a whole day to size accordingly and accurately redraw all of the artwork. This is the only piece that will see further changes as the waterslide decals I applied did not adhere well. I'm awaiting for professionally printed decals to arrive later in the week.

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2.jpg
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 03:30 am
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Rob Duffy
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 Fresh wires, complete with new spade connectors to replace that "thermoset" garbage they thought was a good idea in the mid 1950's.

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4.jpg
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 Posted: Tue Aug 17th, 2021 01:39 pm
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Tom Zapf
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 I SAW A MILLION OF THOSE OUTSIDE-VIEWS AS A KID...THEY WERE EVERYWHERE 
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 Posted: Thu Aug 19th, 2021 12:44 am
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Juan Varleta
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 Hey Rob - that is an immaculate restoration all the way around. And I love the translucent pushbottons.  It sure would be nice to see a video of the fan in action. And now that you've finally found your holy grail, what's next??
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 Posted: Thu Aug 19th, 2021 03:14 am
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Rob Duffy
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 Juan Varleta wrote: Hey Rob - that is an immaculate restoration all the way around. And I love the translucent pushbottons.  It sure would be nice to see a video of the fan in action. And now that you've finally found your holy grail, what's next??Thank you! I'm very happy with the finished product. The before shows it definitely needed some TLC. The switch bezel was worn away and the lower left corner had some heavy corrosion. If it wasn't for the issues stated, I probably would have left it all original because otherwise this fan was in really good condition. Very well kept.


As for videos, I plan to do some collaboration with a younger collector by the name of Colin who just recently got into the hobby. He has an established YouTube channel and I figured he could video some of the fans I've got in my collection. I did take a short video and posted it on the "I Heart Fans" Facebook group but nothing long and detailed at this time.


As for what's next, I'm not too sure. I've checked a lot off of my wanted list this year, including some very rare ones. I believe I will start focusing on restoring what I still have left after the purge and maybe start duplicating some parts for the community. I'm gaining an interest in metal casting and my new home (once I move in) will have plenty of space to set up a decent work shop.

Attached below is the before picture.

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1.jpg

Last edited on Thu Aug 19th, 2021 03:18 am by Rob Duffy
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 Posted: Mon Aug 23rd, 2021 10:42 pm
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Marce Clark
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 Awesome job that looks great.
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 Posted: Tue Aug 24th, 2021 12:00 pm
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Stan Adams
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 Wow that is great Rob! There were not a lot of window fans here in Houston as everyone had attic fans. Glad you finally found it & did such an incredible job restoring it!
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 Posted: Tue Aug 24th, 2021 01:33 pm
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Rob Duffy
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 Stan Adams wrote: Wow that is great Rob! There were not a lot of window fans here in Houston as everyone had attic fans. Glad you finally found it & did such an incredible job restoring it!
Thank you Stan! These things used to be very popular in my area back in the mid 90's. I used to see many of them in the windows of a lot of homes in my town alone. Now with how cheap air conditioners have gotten, not too many are seen. There are a few occasional sightings but not nearly as many. This is the second Chelsea I have restored and I do plan to do more when the time allows it.
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